Chris Sellers

Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Study of Inequalities, Social Justice, and Policy, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)

Community

I'm an American environmental and health historian who also trained as a physician. My work as an historian has concentrated on less obviously natural places--factories and firms, cities and suburbs, also our own bodies--whose nature has historically been harder to see. Among my books are CRABGRASS CRUCIBLE: SUBURBAN NATURE AND THE RISE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICA; DANGEROUS TRADE: HISTORIES OF INDUSTRIAL HAZARD ACROSS A GLOBALIZING WORK (co-edited with Joseph Melling); and HAZARDS OF THE JOB: FROM INDUSTRIAL DISEASE TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE.
The first part of my career I studied the histories of industrialization and of institutional bulwarks such as medicine and the corporation; more recently I've also taken up questions about sub/urbanization, globalization, and inequality. All the while, I've also sought to illuminate experiences, movements, expertise and politics that were or became more identifiably "environmental" in character. While initially I concentrated on the United States, more and more of my work over the last decade and a half has sought to situate American experiences alongside others beyond our borders, most notably in Mexico. Among my recent extracurricular activities, I've helped found a new History of Environment and Health Network (HEHN), also a Steering Committee for Stony Brook's Center for Working Class Studies.

Founded in 2010, The Inertia is the definitive voice of surf and outdoors. We approach the natural world and its devoted culture with curiosity, optimism, and respect. We take pride in bringing our passion for the oceans and mountains to life through original films, reporting, and monumental gatherings. We aim to make a positive impact on our planet through partnerships with nonprofits working hard to preserve earth’s sacred places.